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WASHINGTON — Mitt Romney yesterday accused President Obama of giving federal payouts to campaign cronies, adopting an unusually angry tone as he tried to shift attention away from attacks on his business record.

“It stinks to high heaven and I think the administration has to explain how it is they would consider giving money to campaign contributors’ businesses,” Romney demanded on the Fox News Channel.

“There is no question but that billions upon billions of dollars are given by the Obama administration to the businesses of campaign contributors,” Romney said. “That is a real problem, particularly at a time when the middle class is really suffering in this country.”

Obama has long weathered criticism that major fund-raisers for his campaign have ties to companies that got stimulus money or other government funds, including $500 million in taxpayer dollars lost on failed solar energy company Solyndra.

But it did little to change the subject from Obama’s relentless attacks on Romney’s business record, including discredited but effective allegations that he shipped US jobs overseas.

Obama stuck to the attacks at campaign events in Cincinnati, where he grabbed lunch at the city’s famous Skyline Chili and met briefly with TV-squabble host and former Cincinnati Mayor Jerry Springer.

Springer reportedly is supporting Obama’s re-election.

At a rally at Cincinnati Music Hall, Obama even added a new twist to the attacks on Romney, saying the Republican would send jobs overseas as president, too.

The president was referring to an analysis of Romney’s economic plan by the Tax Notes newsletter.

The Obama campaign dismissed Romney’s accusation of cronyism. Campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said that plenty of federal grants went to projects with “just as robust connections to Republican campaigns and donors.”

Romney also pushed back directly against the attacks on his career at his private-equity firm, Bain Capital.

“A campaign based on falsehood and dishonesty does not have long legs,” said Romney, a former Massachusetts governor.